What to Wear to a Bari-r Pujo

The bonedi bari Pujas — the household Pujas of North Kolkata's old families, some of them running for two hundred years — are the opposite of a barowari street pandal in almost every respect. Smaller, quieter, indoors, and considerably more observed.

If you have been invited to one, it is worth understanding what you are walking into.

How it differs

What to wear

Traditional, and specifically Bengali traditional. This is the one occasion of the six days where the regional convention genuinely matters and a contemporary indo-western look will read as out of place.

• A handloom saree. Dhakai Jamdani or kantha, Tant, or a good Tussar. Red and white if it is Ashtami or Dashami — see the palette guide.
• Draped atpoure if you can. This is where the Bengali drape belongs, and it is noticed and appreciated. How to do it.
• Gold, and shakha-pola if you wear them. Not costume jewellery, not statement pieces. See the jewellery guide.
• For men: a dhoti-panjabi if you have one, otherwise a plain cream or white silk kurta. Nothing printed.

What not to wear

A lehenga. Anything sleeveless or backless. Heavy Western-influenced designer wear. Very high heels — these are old houses with stone courtyards and steep stairs. And, practically, nothing you cannot sit cross-legged on the floor in, because at some point you will be.

Two things to know

You will be offered bhog and it is not optional in any social sense. And in many of these houses photography inside the thakur dalan is restricted — ask, do not assume.

The whole week is planned in the six-day guide, and the traditional weaves are at traditional Indian sarees.